Following the dissolution of Red House Painters after the tumultuous release of their last album Old Ramon, Kozelek released a handful of solo recordings before forming Sun Kil Moon in 2002. Their debut album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, was written entirely by Kozelek, and released by Jetset Records in 2003. It is an album centered around the theme of memory, connecting Kozelek's haunting memories with the true-life stories of deceased boxers, such as featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez and flyweight Pancho Villa. Kozelek's music with Sun Kil Moon spans genres such as the simple acoustic country-folk of "Glenn Tipton" to the heavy, Crazy Horse-esque rock of "Salvador Sanchez" and the light-hearted "Lily And Parrots," onto the fourteen minute psychedelic tour de force, "Duk Koo Kim" (another homage to a deceased boxer) and the beautiful and haunting "Gentle Moon" and "Carry Me Ohio." Kozelek's voice is now more flexible and less downcast than in his work with Red House Painters, resulting in a resonant and often beautiful album.
The band's follow-up Tiny Cities was released on November 1st 2005 on Kozelek's own Caldo Verde label. The album covers eleven songs by the indie/alternative group Modest Mouse and, in its sparse production and spare instrumentation, is more or less a solo work by Kozelek.
Kozelek is known for covering songs from bands not normally associated to his genre of slow, introspective music. They are more than traditional covers, as they are extensively re-worked and re-interpreted to the point that they are often not recognizable to the originals, and take on a different meaning despite the lyrics remaining intact word-for-word. Kozelek's 2000 solo debut Rock 'n' Roll Singer featured covers of songs by AC/DC and John Denver.
His solo 2001 follow-up, What's Next to the Moon was an entire album of AC/DC songs done in his typically languid, hypnotically melancholy acoustic style. Even further back, Songs For A Blue Guitar, the 1996 Red House Painters album, featured covers of Yes's Long Distance Runaround, Paul McCartney & Wings's Silly Love Songs and The Cars' "All Mixed Up". Tiny Cities is very much in this tradition, taking the often frenetic, noisy songs of Modest Mouse and transforming them into haunting, acoustic guitar-dominated midtempo ballads filled with a deep-seated, haunting melancholy.
Pray for Newtown
Sun Kil Moon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
James Huberty went to a restaurant, shot everyone up with a machine gun.
It was from my hometown.
We talked about it til the sun went down.
Then everybody got up and stretched and yawned and then our lives went on.
And I just left Safeway, when I walked through my doorway.
When a guy took a bullet to an island and shot up a bunch of little kids up in Norway. Called a few of my friends round here, but no one much really cared.
I just arrived in Seoul, by way of Beijing.
I had an hour to myself in my hotel when I turned on the TV.
It was quite a thriller, CNN was recording the bat man killer.
His eyes were glazed like he was from Mars.
Yesterday he was no one, today he was a star.
I was down in New Orleans, at the model o.
Enjoying some time all to myself when I turned the TV on.
There were shootings in a Portland mall.
It was everyday America and that's all.
It was just another one walked down Royal Street,
The rest of the world was out having fun.
December fourteenth, another killing went down.
I got a letter from a fan he said Mark say a prayer for Newtown.
I ain't one to pray, but I'm one to sing and play for women and
Children and moms and dads and brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts.
December twenty-fifth, and I was just laying down.
I picked up a pen, I wrote a letter to the guy in Newtown.
I said I'm sorry bout the killings, and the teachers who lost their lives.
I felt it coming on, I felt it in my bones and I don't know why.
So when Christmas comes and you're out running around.
Take a moment to pause and think of the kids who died in Newtown.
They went so young, who gave their lives.
To make us stop and think and try to get it right.
Were so young, a cloud so dark over them.
And they left home, gave their mom and dad a kiss and a hug.
So when your birthday comes and you're feeling pretty good,
Baking cakes and opening gifts and stuffing your mouth with food.
Check it off for the children who lost their lives.
Think of their families and how they mourn and cry.
When you're gonna get married and you're out shopping around,
Take a moment to think about the families that lost so much in Newtown.
The lyrics to Sun Kil Moon's song "Pray for Newtown" details the tragic events of mass shootings and killings that have occurred in various parts of America and the world. Mark Kozelek, the singer and songwriter of Sun Kil Moon, narrates his personal experiences of learning about such events in his life. He describes how he was a junior in high school when he learned about the shooting by James Huberty at a restaurant in his hometown. Kozelek also talks about how he learned about mass shootings in Norway, the Aurora theater shooting, and a shooting at a Portland mall while he was traveling across the world.
Kozelek's lyrics reveal his personal feelings of sadness and frustration about the lack of action or concern shown by some people following these horrific incidents. He sings about how he called his friends to talk about the Norway shooting, but they did not seem to care. Kozelek further expresses his helplessness and grief about these tragedies by singing, "I ain't one to pray, but I'm one to sing and play for women and children and moms and dads and brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts."
The chorus of the song urges people to take a moment and think about the children who lost their lives in Newtown, Connecticut, where a mass shooting took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Kozelek received a letter from a fan asking him to say a prayer for Newtown, which inspired him to write the song. He concludes by encouraging listeners to remember the children who lost their lives in Newtown and honor them even during happy occasions like birthdays and weddings.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a Junior in high school when I turned the TV on.
I was in high school when I first heard about a mass shooting at a restaurant in my hometown by a man named James Huberty
James Huberty went to a restaurant, shot everyone up with a machine gun.
James Huberty shot and killed several people with a machine gun at a restaurant
It was from my hometown.
This incident happened in my hometown
We talked about it til the sun went down.
We discussed this incident for a long time
Then everybody got up and stretched and yawned and then our lives went on.
Eventually, people moved on and returned to their normal lives
And I just left Safeway, when I walked through my doorway.
I had just left a store called Safeway when I got home
When a guy took a bullet to an island and shot up a bunch of little kids up in Norway.
A man went to an island in Norway and killed many children there
Called a few of my friends round here, but no one much really cared.
I tried to talk to my friends about the incident, but they didn't seem to care
But I did, because I've got a lot of friends there.
I cared about the incident because I have many friends in Norway
I just arrived in Seoul, by way of Beijing.
I had just arrived in Seoul after traveling from Beijing
I had an hour to myself in my hotel when I turned on the TV.
I had some free time in my hotel room and decided to watch TV
It was quite a thriller, CNN was recording the bat man killer.
CNN was reporting on a mass shooting by someone nicknamed the "bat man killer"
His eyes were glazed like he was from Mars.
The shooter's eyes had a strange, glazed appearance
Yesterday he was no one, today he was a star.
The shooter went from being an unknown person to a notorious figure
I was down in New Orleans, at the model o.
I was in New Orleans at a place called the Model O
Enjoying some time all to myself when I turned the TV on.
I was watching TV when news of a shooting at a Portland mall came on
It was everyday America and that's all.
This shooting was just another example of the gun violence that happens all too often in America
It was just another one walked down Royal Street,
It seemed like just another day on Royal Street
December fourteenth, another killing went down.
Another mass shooting occurred on December 14th
I got a letter from a fan he said Mark say a prayer for Newtown.
I received a letter from a fan asking me to pray for the victims of the Newtown shooting
I ain't one to pray, but I'm one to sing and play for women and children and moms and dads and brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts.
I don't pray, but I use my music to show my support for those affected by the shooting
December twenty-fifth, and I was just laying down.
It was December 25th and I was lying down
I picked up a pen, I wrote a letter to the guy in Newtown.
I wrote a letter to someone in Newtown expressing my condolences for their loss
I said I'm sorry bout the killings, and the teachers who lost their lives.
I apologized for the shootings and expressed my empathy for the teachers who were killed
I felt it coming on, I felt it in my bones and I don't know why.
I felt a wave of sadness come over me and couldn't explain why
So when Christmas comes and you're out running around.
When Christmas arrives and people are busy with their celebrations
Take a moment to pause and think of the kids who died in Newtown.
Take a moment to remember the children who lost their lives in the Newtown shooting
They went so young, who gave their lives.
These children died at such a young age
To make us stop and think and try to get it right.
Their deaths should make us reflect and work toward a solution to prevent such tragedies
Were so young, a cloud so dark over them.
These children were too young to have to face such a dark tragedy
And they left home, gave their mom and dad a kiss and a hug.
These children said goodbye to their parents before heading off to school, not knowing it would be the last time
When you're gonna get married and you're out shopping around,
When you're looking for items to prepare for a wedding
Take a moment to think about the families that lost so much in Newtown.
Remember the families who lost loved ones in the Newtown shooting
Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
umcarainteressante
I ain’t one to pray, but I’m one to sing and play...
Fucking love this line. Its melody and meaning.
Louis Zarrillo
such a heavy song, there's something about this album that just is so different than anything i've heard. So honest even when it is an uncomfortable subject. Touches me in a way that rarely happens through music
Kevin Porter
I feel the exact same way, Louis.
MayorPrentiss
Every day this song gets longer and longer
Mike Smith
😔
Benjamin Western
this song is absolutely exceptionalÂ
IAN m
One of the few songs that make me tear up at how often and numbing these mass killings have become. Also just how detached we have become from each other .
Luke Berrie
"It was quite a thriller, CNN was promoting the Batman killer
His eyes were glazed like he was from Mars
Yesterday he was no one, today he was a star"
Chills.
Jakob Sanchez
Rest in peace, Jeremy Richman. I hope you're in some better place, free from grief, free from trauma, and if there's an afterlife, I hope it's one you can share with your daughter.
Anna Turcotte
So when Christmas comes and you're out running around
Take a moment to pause and think of the kids who died in Newtown
They went so young, who gave their lives
To make us stop and think and try to get it right
Were so young, a cloud so dark over them
And they left home, gave their mom and dad a kiss and a hug